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Virginia Helps Lead the Nation in Energy Efficiency with 167 Buildings Earning EPA's ENERGY STAR

Release Date: 03/07/2006
Contact Information: Donna Heron, 215-814-5113

03/07/06 PHILADELPHIA – Across the U.S., more than 2,500 office buildings, schools, hospitals, and public buildings, representing 482 million square feet, earned EPA’s ENERGY STAR for superior energy and environmental performance through 2005.

These buildings are saving an estimated $349 million annually in lower energy bills, as ENERGY STAR-qualified buildings use up to 40 percent less energy than typical buildings, while providing the required comfort and services. These buildings also are preventing 1.8 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to the emissions from 540,000 vehicles.

In Virginia, these ENERGY STAR-qualified buildings represent approximately 15.5 million square feet of space and save about $12 million annually in lower energy bills while meeting industry standards for comfort and indoor air quality. These buildings prevent 70 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to the emissions from more than 21,000 vehicles.

“By partnering with EPA, building owners are realizing that they can reduce energy costs without sacrificing comfort or tenant satisfaction,” said EPA Regional Administrator Donald S. Welsh. “ENERGY STAR building owners in Virginia are to be congratulated for taking an important leadership step. Commercial buildings account for more than 17 percent of our national’s greenhouse gas emissions.”

Buildings earn the ENERGY STAR based on EPA’s energy performance rating system. These buildings must score a 75 or better (on a scale from 1-100) based on their actual energy use, and also meet industry standards for comfort and indoor air quality. The average score for ENERGY STAR labeled buildings in 2005 is 86.

Among the top performing buildings nationwide are 1007 office buildings, 501 public schools and 834 grocery stores. More than 200 hotels, hospitals, medical offices, and other buildings also earned the ENERGY STAR. Top-performing buildings can be found in every state in the nation and the District of Columbia. States that are home to the most ENERGY STAR-qualified buildings are California, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, Colorado, and Ohio.

For more information and a complete list of buildings and their locations, please visit www.energystar.gov. Under the column marked “Business Improvements,” click on “Find Labeled Buildings.” To find all the ENERGY STAR buildings in a state, just type in the state and click on the search button.

ENERGY STAR is a government-backed program helping businesses and consumers protect the environment through superior energy efficiency. By partnering with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency through ENERGY STAR, more than 7,000 private and public sector organizations, in 2004 alone, saved enough energy to power 24 million homes and avoid greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 20 million cars – all while saving $10 billion.